Inevitably, the physical environment of children influences their developmental outcomes. Even before birth, exposure to toxins or substances can impact a child’s physical development and cause low birth weight, premature birth or long term medical disorder. After birth, a lot of factors can stimulate a child’s development which may affect their personality on the long run.
Undoubtedly, our environment is a direct reflection of who we are. It affects both adults and children but adults have filters unlike children that absorb all the smells, textures, sounds, sights and emotions around them. Environment may meet adult need or be tolerant to an adult but it is an entirely different case with children. In children, it affects their learning process, physical development, academic progress, emotional well-being, social relationship, psychological disposition and general behavioural characteristics. Thus, children depend on adult to give them the most nurturing environment possible.
Raising whole and healthy children does not end with meeting their physical needs of food, shelter, clothing, protection etc, it is more important to create environments in which children can thrive. It means consciously creating enabling environment where peace, love, unity, safety and warmth abound. An environment where their physical, psychological, mental, emotional and even spiritual needs are recognized, honored, and met by their family and their community.
Ways to Create a Healthy Environment for Children
Depending on the child, environmental influence could come either as nurturing from family or nurturing from the society/community or from both. Thus, a child’s bearing vulnerability operates at both the family and the society levels and it is important for parents to recognise this while creating enabling environment for their children.
At the family, parents can create an enabling environment for their children in the following way;
- Children, especially in their early years, from 0 to 7 years, need a nurturing home environment that must be conducive and harmonious enough for them. Bed time, story time, meal time and general family time must be adhered to and placed above any other family engagement.
- From 7 years above when a child becomes more involved with school activities and social world. At this level, nurturing is shared between the family and school. The determinant factors become the type of school they attend, their ideologies, location, population and belief system. These factors either directly or indirectly determines who a child is and what she becomes.
- The living environment of the child should be that of calmness and tranquility. An aggressive and violent family sets a child up for tension, abuse and cantankerous attitudes.
- Families should display affection, be loving, positive, consistent, disciplined, honest, straightforward and set good examples. These are key virtues a family should have which impacts positively on children.
- There’s need to maintain a hygienic environment. Dirty environment breeds dirty character. A child should be taught cleanliness and healthy hygiene.
- Parents should provide support, create family time, give listening ears and offer support when it’s needed. They should read with their children, chat with them, create time table for family time and be emotionally available all the time.
At the community level, parents should consider;
- The type of community a child lives in. Cities that are more religiously inclined or dominated by a particular religion, class or status also affect a child. According to research, raising children in a stressful, unsettled or impoverished environment can cause their brain to develop differently.
- Crime rate of an environment is another big factor. Areas that are security porous and prone to all sorts of social vice like quarrels, fights, rape, vandalisation, theft etc are danger zones for children.
- Natural environment like living in an environment where rivers/seas, forest, farm land or gardens, community square etc make a child closer to nature and behave/reason more nature-like.
- Friends, family friends, neighbours, relatives, church members are a child’s close circle. Their language, belief system, religious views, level of education and exposure etc all work hand in hand to affect a child’s development.
- Holidaying, camping, picnics etc are also crucial in shaping a child through their environment. As often as possible, children need to stay outside their homes for a while, feel a different ambience, create and recreate experiences, ask questions and learn new things in a new environment. Travelling is a very interesting part of learning and children make the most of this than adults.
- The level of government involvement is also a determinant factor and an environmental influence in a child’s development. Government policies within certain areas, rules/regulations, penalties, fines all shapes a child’s development.
Children live what they learn. They absorb and imitate what they experience in their environment. Their exterior environment molds their interior environment. This goes a long way in determining who a child is and what she will become. Creating a good nurturing family and community is vital in raising children. Encouraging and enrolling them in social activities like music, dance, swimming, sports, gardening, knitting, weaving etc will provide a nurturing environment to enhance their creativity, build their talent and boost their self esteemed, self reliance and adaptability.
Parents are implored to be conscious of the environment they raise their children because their environment is their influence and their influence is their personality!
Amara Ann Unachukwu
